Sea's Tartar Sauce

We love fried fish and all kinds of seafood here. I cant wait till I get to Oregon tho. I wont be far from the coast and many of the fishermen up there sell off their catch right from the boats. Some have even set up stands here and there. Since I don't fish, that will be real convenient for me. I make several sauces that we have come to love. My bf loves anything mayo based. I swear it runs thru his veins lol. He always looks for this tho when we have fish.

Sea's Tartar Sauce

This is a recipe Ive tweaked over time. Many tartar sauces call for capers and I'm allergic to them, so I don't buy this, I have to make it. We love it with any seafood tho. In fact my bf says he loves mine the best.

2 c. mayonnaise ( I use Best Foods, Hellmanns on the east coast)
1 pickled jalapeno or a few slices of pickled ones
3 tb. pickled relish
Juice and grated rind of 1 lemon
1 tb. finely chopped green onion
1 tb. chopped chives or 1 tsp. dried
1 tb. finely chopped fresh tarragon or 1 tsp. dried
2 tb. Dijon mustard
2 tsp. Old Bay seasoning
Freshly ground black pepper

Place all ingredients in a bowl and whisk together. Season with pepper to taste and also adjust seasonings now. This is when I add a bit more of something if what Ive used for some reason, doesn't have enough flavor. That happens sometimes with dried things or jarred items. If too strong of a flavor more mayo can be added to tone it down. I keep this sauce refrigerated in a container for whenever I need to use it. It keeps well.

I buy jars of pickled jalapeños for nachos and stuff and they are sliced. So if you use those do it to taste. I add about 3-4 slices chopped fine. Most tartar sauces only call for lemon juice but I found the zest really adds a nice touch and I don't miss the lemons squeezed on the seafood. You can eliminate the zest if you wish tho.

Citrus Ricotta Pound Cake

I found a recipe recently online for Lemon Ricotta Pound Cake. I have a Meyer Lemon bush that is just loaded with them and needs to be used up. So when I stumbled onto that page I decided to grab the recipe and play with it. I used lemons from my yard but also added the zest and juice of one navel orange. I love both lemons and oranges so I thought it would be a great taste. I also added some Vanilla extract. The lemon/orange/vanilla combo is just so very Italian and a taste that I love. The only thing I would do is line the pans with parchment paper the next time I make it. I think the extra juice makes it extra sticky. The recipe called for one loaf pan but I found I had extra and could almost make two. So I used a couple silicone pans that I had to use up the extra. Thats what you see up there.

We loved this so much that I'm going to serve it for our Easter dessert. Instead of my typical Strawberry shortcake, I'm going to use slices of this for the base. Then Ill top with my sliced strawberries macerated in a bit of brown sugar and Grand Marnier. Top it with fresh whipped cream.


CITRUS RICOTTA POUND CAKE makes 1-2 loaves.

3/4 c. butter softened
1 1/2 c. whole milk ricotta cheese (one 15oz. container)
1 1/2 c. sugar
3 large eggs
2 t. vanilla extract
1 t. salt
3 t. baking powder
1 1/2 c. flour
juice and zest of 2 lemons
juice and zest of one large orange
powdered sugar for tops

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and place oven rack in the center position. Grease and flour a 9 inch loaf pan. Sift flour, baking powder, together and set aside. In a stand mixer bowl, cream butter, ricotta, and sugar till light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, allowing each to incorporate before adding the next. Add vanilla, zest and juice of lemons and orange. Set mixer on low and gradually add the dry ingredients. Once added, allow the batter to mix for 30 seconds or so. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan, smoothing the batter. Bake the cake on the center rack for 15 minutes, then lower heat to 325 degrees, and bake 50 to 60 minutes more, or until cake springs back from touch and has slightly pulled away from pan sides, and a toothpick comes out clean. (Baking time is approximate, the amount of water in the ricotta determines the baking time.) Cool the cake inside the pan for 15 minutes before removing. Remove and let cake cool completely. Sprinkle with powdered sugar slice and serve.

Smaller pans will be done before the loaf pan. The loaf pan may need to go a bit longer so test. When a skewer inserted comes out clean, its done. The cake will be very moist and almost pudding like tho when cooled and sliced.

The bug finally hit me.....

The bug finally hit me.....the spring cleaning bug. I was wandering online and came across a site for making organic stuff to clean your house with and this woman said use olive oil and lemon juice to polish your furniture. I didn't like her amts tho and like always tweaked it to what I like.

I often buy essential oils to keep around the house for healing and cleaning. Tea tree and grapefruit seed extract are great for bathrooms. Lavender in water is awesome for linens and helps you sleep. But I mix orange oil with my baking soda to clean my kitchen counters and my ceramic topped stove. Its not abrasive like other cleaners and the orange oil helps kill germs. Baking soda helps neutralize odors too.

So today I decided to try a tiny bit of olive oil and some orange oil to polish my oak table with. I loved it! It cleans it really good and leaves a nice shine. But all I have here is extra virgin olive oil and I sure didn't want to use that to clean with. Its too expensive but I did want to use a natural oil. I remembered some sesame oil I bought from an herb place on sale. I ordered it thinking it was a good deal and also thought it was toasted sesame oil. I was wrong..... I like toasted for cooking and oriental dishes. This wasn't so I didn't know what to do with it. I put it on the shelf in my garage.

Today I remembered I had that. Its a nice neutral oil, its organic and its just sitting there. That woman's recipe said to use lemon juice. Well right now I have a ton of Meyer lemons begging to be used for something, on my tree outside. So I picked a few and made my own polish. I used the juice of 1 lemon, strained, added some orange essential oil too....maybe half tsp. and added sesame oil. I whisked it all together but didn't like that it was so waterery. I wanted a creamy polish, sort of like a creamy salad dressing. So I did what I used to do in the restaurant when I made mayonnaise. I just kept adding oil till it got to the consistency I liked. This used about 1/3 of a 16oz. bottle.

I think from now on Ill be making my own polish. Its safer, healthier and uses stuff I have on hand. You don't have to add the essential oil if you don't want too. I buy my essential oils in bulk on Ebay tho. They last a very long time kept in a dark place. I remembered I had some fragrance oils too. And so I decided to make some potpourri to put around the house.

This house has been stinky winter stale. I haven't been inspired to do a darn thing around here. I remember one day last week my bf opened the windows and aired the house out and I felt better. I also remembered that I always had seasonal potpourris around that I make myself. Ive just stopped doing all that cuz of this move. And so today I decided ,screw the moving I'm gonna still live in my house. I buy in bulk those crystals that you add water too, for houseplants. You know those that hold alot to keep watering your plants when you forget? I add liquid potpourri or fragrance oils or essential oils to water and pour it over a tsp. or so of those crystals. I keep adding till the crystals are big and have absorbed about all they can. Then I put spoonfuls in covered pretty containers to put around the house.

When I want the house to smell fresh I just take the covers off awhile and let the fragrance wander thru the house. Right now my senses are overwhelmed tho lol. Ive been busy polishing and the crystals were busy absorbing and that fragrance (rose with a touch of orange) has taken over the house! And so I stopped cleaning to put that stuff in containers before the scent kills me here lolol. But at least now the house smells nice and I'm inspired to do my spring cleaning.

BLENDER HOLLANDAISE

This is the time of year I bring out my Hollandaise recipe for asparagus. Everyone says Oh I cant make that but Ive found a fool proof way to make it. Found this recipe years ago and its become a family classic now.

BLENDER HOLLANDAISE makes 3/4c.

3 egg yolks

2tb. fresh lemon juice

1/4 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. cayenne or white pepper (I like cayenne)

1 tb. minced fresh parsley (optional)

1/2c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and sizzling hot

Combine yolks, lemon juice, salt, cayenne and parsley (if using) in a blender or food processor and mix 5 sec. With machine running, pour hot butter into egg mixture in slow steady stream (it should take about 15 sec.) If sauce is too thick, stir in 1-2tb. hot water. Keep warm in double boiler. Do not reheat.

I like to use cayenne in this but dont worry theres not enough of it to give it heat. The hot butter cooks the yolks so you do not have to worry about raw egg problems but the machine keeps it smooth. You can add the parsley if you wish or just use it to top the whole dish. I usually make this the last thing I make before we eat so I dont have to keep it warm, its fast and ez.

No Bake Lemon Cheesecake

This one I love to make in the summer because you don't have to bake it. Its a luscious lemon one and to make it even yummier I top mine with Lemon Curd. I adore lemon anything so anytime I can add more , Ill do it. (The bf does not like my fondness for lemon either, says damn you put lemon on anything! No I don't!)

NO BAKE LEMON CHEESECAKE MAKES 12 SERVINGS

1 c. brown edged lemon wafer crumbs (about 18 wafers) Or I sometimes use Nilla wafers

1/4c. (1/2 stick) butter or margarine, melted

2 tb. sugar

2 envelopes unflavored gelatin

3/4c sugar

3 eggs, separated

1c. milk

1 lb. creamed cottage cheese

2 tsp. grated lemon rind

1/3c lemon juice

1 c. heavy cream

Lemon Curd to top (opt. but I added this to mine,yum!)

Combine crumbs, butter and the 2tb. sugar in a sm. bowl. Press into bottom of a 9in. spring form pan, reserving 2tb. for the top. Combine gelatin, 1/2 c of the remaining sugar and egg yolks in a med. size saucepan. Beat with mixer till well mixed. Stir in milk till well blended. Cook over med. heat, stirring constantly, till sugar and gelatin are dissolved and mixture is slightly thickened, about 5min. Cool.

Press cheese thru a sieve or process in a food processor till smooth. Stir in cooled gelatin mixture, lemon rind and juice. Beat egg whites till foamy-white in a sm. bowl. Beat in the remaining 1/4c. sugar gradually, till meringue forms soft peaks. Beat cream in a sm. bowl till stiff. Fold cream, then meringue, into cheese mixture. Spoon into prepared pan. Chill 4hrs till or till set. Top with Lemon curd if your using it and the reserved crumbs. Carefully remove the side of the spring form pan to serve.

Meyer Lemon Pie ............YUM!

I have a Meyer Lemon bush in my yard. I always said when I came to CA. I was going to have one. For some reason I just didn't in my first house.........then when I moved to this town I planted one at the old house my ex kept. It was slow to produce but in a couple yrs it did. The day I left one of the movers who moved me asked if he could have some. Since it was now my ex's house and I really didn't care I said sure help yourself to as many as you want. The man picked a case of lemons! There were still some left on the bush too.

Then I moved here....I started doing some landscaping when I moved here 7yrs ago. I decided to plant another Meyer Lemon bush. Again it took a couple of yrs and I was just dying to have my own again. Finally about the 3rd yr. it took off. What you see up there is whats on it right now. Ive been using them all winter too. I kept promising my bf a lemon pie and yesterday I finally decided to do it. What you see below is my results.

MEYER LEMON MERINGUE PIE 8 servings

1 c. white sugar
2 tb. all purpose flour
3 tb.. cornstarch
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 c. water
2 lemons, juiced and zested, finely mince the zest
2 tb. butter
4 egg yolks, beaten
1 (9in.) pie shell baked
4 egg whites
6 tb. white sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

To make filling: In a med. saucepan, whisk together 1 c. sugar, flour, cornstarch, and salt. Stir in water, lemon juice and zest. Cook over med. high heat, stirring frequently, till mixture comes to a boil and begins to thicken. Take off heat and stir in butter. Place egg yolks in a small mixing bowl and gradually add about a 1/2c. of the hot sugar mixture. Whisk briskly into egg yolks otherwise eggs may scramble. This is to temper the eggs so they don't cook immediately when added back. Slowly whisk egg yolk mixture back into sugar mixture. Bring to a boil and continue to cook while stirring constantly till thick. Remove from heat and pour filling into baked shell.

To make Meringue: In a lg. glass bowl, whip egg whites till foamy. Slowly add remaining 6tb. sugar and continue to whip till still peaks form. Spread meringue over pie, sealing the edges at the crust. Bake in preheated oven for 10 min. or till meringue is golden.

I was feeling lazy tho and didn't want to make pie crust and had no store bought in the house. (Yes I use them alot, they are good and save time). but I did have some frozen puff pastry in the freezer so I took it out to thaw while making the other stuff. One sheet wouldn't cover the pie plate so I took a chance and doubled them and rolled them together. When I placed it in the pie pan I just tucked any overhanging edges under. I wont do it this way again. It was too thick and while the pastry tastes ok.....its really hard to cut with a fork! Me and the man were laughing at that last nite.... so if you use puff pastry, use one roll it well and hope for the best. It was an experiment for me. Otherwise the pie was just delicious!


This was what that pie shell looked like before filling. It puffed up so much I thought the filling might not fit but it was ok.


Adding the butter to the cooked and thickened sugar mixture.

Ingredients to finish filling.......beat those yolks, add a bit of that hot stuff to it and beat well again then pour and whisk back into that pan and finish cooking.


Pie shelled filled with finished lemon filling.


Ready for the oven, topped with meringue.


TA DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA .........FINISHED PIE.

Pie filling nice and firm not running when sliced , totally YUMMY!

ABOUT MEYER LEMONS

If you like the tang of lemons, but not the pucker, Meyer lemons are for you. They are not nearly as tart as conventional lemons, and their peel is slightly sweet. Like a regular lemon perfected, the color and juice are amped up and the peel is thinned down.

Like so much citrus fruit, the Meyer lemon was originally found in China. In 1905 the US Department of Agriculture hired Frank Meyer as a plant hunter and in 1908 he "discovered" the Meyer lemon in Peking (now Beijing). It is believed that the Meyer lemon is a hybrid between Citrus limon, the lemon, and Citrus reticulata, the mandarin orange. It is a very hardy plant and bears fruit from November through April.

Meyer lemons are great in many recipes where you would normally use regular lemons like souffle, lemon curd and with seafood, but you can also do so much more with them. The easiest way to use them might be in salad dressing. Because they aren't as tart as regular lemons they make a fruitier more complex vinaigrette. The peel is also very desirable so I recommend using it in recipes like marmalade or candied peel. If you end up with more than you can use, consider making Moroccan preserved lemons or freezing the juice in ice cube trays to use later.

The Zucchini Bakery

Well its that time of year where everything in the garden is bursting out and you try to figure out what to do with it all. I don't have a garden this year but I have had one almost every year for the last 35. I remember going on a trip once a few yrs back. I had two zucchini plants , that's all. When I came back and checked out my garden I found 3 HUGEEEEEEEEEE and I do mean huge zucchini. When I picked them to bring in the house I could barely carry all 3. They had to have been 3ft long and as fat as a cantaloupe around. I almost tossed them in the garbage. Then I thought no .....zucchini bread! So I took the first one, peeled it, shredded it to get it ready for zucchini bread. It made 10 loaves from that one zucchini!!! I sent some to work with my ex, and we ate some but I gave the rest away. How much of that stuff can you eat? I did end up tossing away the other zucchini considering I still had a few cups left of shredded from the first one that I froze. So in honor of that I thought Id post a few more kinds of zucchini bread types to help give you ideas to use it all up.

Zucchini Dill Muffins

1 1/2 cups flour

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

3 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tsp. fresh minced dill, OR 1/2 teaspoon dill weed

1/4 cup milk

1/2 cup butter -- melted

2 large eggs

2/3 cup ricotta cheese

1/2 cup shredded zucchini

Heat oven to 400°. Grease muffin tins or line with 12 baking cups. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup, level off. In large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and dill. Mix well. In medium bowl combine milk, butter, and eggs. Stir in ricotta cheese and zucchini, beat well. Add to dry ingredients, stirring until just moistened (batter will be stiff).Fill prepared muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake at 400° for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pan and serve warm with lots of fresh butter! These are great with a nice luncheon salad.

Carrot, zucchini and dill muffins

2 cups self-raising flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 tablespoons caster sugar

1/2 cup finely grated carrot

1/2 cup finely grated zucchini, squeezed between your hands to remove excess moisture

1/2 cup coarsely grated Swiss cheese

2 tablespoons dill, chopped

3/4 cup milk

1/2 cup extra light olive oil

2 eggs

2 teaspoons sea salt flakes

Preheat oven to 400°. Lightly grease a 12 x 1/3-cup capacity muffin pan. Sift flour and baking powder into a large bowl. Stir in sugar, carrot, zucchini, cheese and dill. Whisk milk, oil and eggs together in a jug. Add to dry ingredients. Use a large metal spoon to stir until just combined. Divide mixture evenly between muffin holes. Sprinkle tops with sea salt. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Stand for 5 minutes in pan before turning onto a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature. Makes 12

Zucchini-Lemon Muffins

2 c All-purpose flour

1/2 c Sugar

1 tb Baking powder

2 ts Grated lemon rind

1/4 ts Salt

1/4 ts Ground nutmeg

1 c Coarsely shredded zucchini

3/4 c Skim milk

3 tb Vegetable oil

1 Egg
Vegetable cooking spray

Combine the first 6 ingredients in a bowl, and make a well in center of mixture. Combine zucchini, milk, oil, and egg; stir well. Add to flour mixture, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened. Divide batter evenly among 12 muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until golden. Remove from pans immediately, and let cool on a wire rack. Yield: 1 dozen.

Zucchini Cranberry Muffins

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tbsp. baking powder

2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

3 eggs

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

2/3 tbsp. pure vanilla extract

2 cups grated zucchini

1 (8-ounce) can crushed pineapple

1 1/2 cups whole cranberry sauce

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup walnuts

Sift dry ingredients together. Beat eggs. Blend in sugar, oil and vanilla. Fold in zucchini, pineapple and cranberries. Add wet ingredients to dry. Mix just until blended. Fold in nuts/raisins. Pour into muffin cups and bake at 375 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a knife inserted in center of muffin comes out clean.

Blueberry Zucchini Bread

3 eggs lightly beaten

1 cup vegetable oil

3 teaspoons vanilla extract

2-1/4 cups white sugar

2 cups shredded zucchini

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 tsp. ground cinnamon (you can use up to a Tablespoon. It just depends how much cinnamon flavor you want)

1 pint fresh blueberries, coat with some flour before adding to mixture (can use frozen blueberries for this bread, cheaper and works just fine. Quickly mix in 1 tsp. of flour with the measured out blueberries before you fold them into the batter so they won’t all sink to the bottom)

Preheat oven to 350° F. Lightly grease 4 mini-loaf pans. In a large bowl, beat together the eggs, oil, vanilla, and sugar. Fold in the zucchini. Beat in the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon. Gently fold in the blueberries. Transfer to the prepared mini ­loaf pans. Bake 1 hour, or until a knife inserted in the center of a loaf comes out clean. Cool 20 minutes in pans, then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely.
Do not eat the same day you bake it. It is much better if it is wrapped after it cools and then let sit on the counter for a day or two to mellow. Can also make one full loaf and then used the rest of the batter to make muffins. It freezes well too.

Zucchini Chip Cupcakes

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1-3/4 cups sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup baking cocoa

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 cups shredded zucchini

1/4 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

1/4 cup chopped pecans

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter, oil and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, milk and vanilla. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt and cinnamon; gradually add to creamed mixture. Fold in zucchini and chocolate chips. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Top with pecans. Bake at 375° for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in muffin comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely. Yield: about 2 dozen.